It was my mistake thinking she was part of the school's staff, eh? I'd never come across that term before (or just understood it as "security"). Several articles described her as "staff" and one even called her a "teacher". Shows how easy it is the report the news WRONGLY, eh?

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 4:40:08 AMI can't believe you people having a go at the lack of training the security guard has or hasn't had. She probably works 12 hour shifts for $2 an hour and her training will consist of "Can you find your way here without assistance?" I've had security jobs and they really are the lowest of the low. I for one would not put my ass in the firing line with the way they are treated.

Monday, January 14, 2013 9:58:35 AMIt's true: She let him get into the building. There was the Principal and a student in the door-way area, if she had locked him out? They would have been in danger. Of course she could have shot him right then & there, and few people would fault her for it. His gun was out, others were in danger.

The reason they shot him later was because he became very agitated and acted in a dangerous way, so they dropped him.

So I agree, she could (perhaps should have) have shot him right away, and put and end to the danger. What she did was (I'm presuming) try to save his life, while not putting others at risk.

This suspect committed at least three crimes in her presence........if shooting him isn't correct, then why didn't she go hands on and take him in to custody? Why did she let him in the building ? Why did she let him walk around inside the building ? Policework 101 .....keep the potential victims away from the threat, or keep the threat away from the potential victims. She didn't do that. And this "keep him talking" is not a goal in this situation; it's stop him as soon as possible..The need to make him comply far outweighs the risk of not making him comply....Talking is for hostage situations, when they're barricaded, or suicidal. This man wasn't there to hand out cookies and milk....and she put herself and everyone in that building at risk by not acting right away. Thank god police willing to act showed up 8 minutes in..She still might be "keeping him talking". There isn't enough time or enough space on this site to list all the

Monday, January 14, 2013 8:25:32 AMpoorly trained on her part and i agree poorly chosen for the profession. this could have ended very badly. and for troll points, the bad person with a gun was stopped by good people with guns. but do uniforms really define good or evil? ;)

And NO, we don't wear a badge to get killed "on the side of caution"...our level of force escalates immediately to match the threat.....As I said before, we don't wait to get shot at before we act. I have a family and a life too....so according to you, I should lay down MY life, just so an armed criminal with bad intent doesn't die. Yeah, right..that'll happen. I will however, gladly do so to protect INNOCENT people, like children, teachers or janitor....I will not value the life of a criminal over mine, or innocent people.

I've been a cop for 32 years, a Lieutenant for 15... (Thus the Lt633c)..that's NOT how it's done. So, as he walks her through the building, like he did for what, 8 minutes, and finds the person or persons he DOES want to kill and does so, is that still the way it's SUPPOSED to be done? That would be a great headline..."Cop lets armed man walk around inside school, kills intended target(s)" If anyone points a gun at a police officer, they get shot...Period...we can't wait, or WE get shot. Then who's left to talk to him and protect the bystanders ? Talking IS prefered to a point, but once the gun is pointed, or he enters the school, the threat is too great to let anyone proceed.

Ok, if talking and waiting for back up is the answer, why did they shoot him after backup arrived ? Should a waited for MORE back up maybe ? She didn't have proper training, or she was too afraid to act. That's a shoot scenerio all day long.

Monday, January 14, 2013 12:09:06 AMOh, my goodness. This happened back in 2010, and I do not recall reading anything about it? This woman, Carolyn Gudger, is an American heroine. She has nerves of steel.

Sunday, January 13, 2013 9:15:04 PM@It633c: I don't think it's "the duty" of a police officer to kill someone. ANYONE. Without first exsausting ALL other options. Even if that means the officer dies on the side of caution? THAT is why they wear a badge.

She did EXACTLY (afaik) what she was supposed to do: Keep him talking Protect the bystanders Wait for back-up.

Period! And it's tragic that he got killed in the end, anyhow, but it's 100% NOT this officer's fault! She did every single thing she could to end this without bloodshed, including risk her own life. HOW can you argue with that?

Different profession? She needs to TEACH other cops how to be as good as her. Stick a medal on her! She's GOOD!

Whenever I see the "Mexican Standoff" in movies or TV I think it's really, VERY stupid! I mean now way could two people point guns at each other like that! Lolz!

But here it is: reality! In front of my eyes this very thing happens. So I'm forced to accept: it's real. People do actually do this sort of thing! Well, blow my lips off!

For all my nay-sayers who think I'm an inflexable "Mr.know-it-all" (that's a "shout out" to @Mr.Peabody! Eh? Thanks for the support!) I can and DO change my mind when the evidence is clear! I thought it never happens? It did. 8 minutes of it. Therefor I am wrong and must adjust my viewpoint. Sounds simple enough...

Sunday, January 13, 2013 9:01:37 PMThis SRO was a Deputy Sheriff, a police officer......she should have shot him the SECOND she saw him with a gun in his hand at the door......Talking was not the right decision, and neither was letting him waltz her around the school pointing his gun at her and possibly others....He clearly wasn't there for good reasons, and the police officers INACTION put her and everyone else at risk.......he should have been dead in the doorway. She needs a different profession.

Sunday, January 13, 2013 8:52:59 PMThere are 132,656 public schools in America. Let's say we hire an average of 2 officers per school and they make $40,000 a year. That would cost $10,612,480,000....which is roughly what Obama spends on his vacations. But you're right; it's not very cost effective. Allowing *qualified* faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons would be much more effective and much less expensive.

As to the vid, she should have shot him at the very first opportunity. Then she should have shot him two or three times more just to make sure he was dead. Getting into a Mexican standoff with a lunatic is a sure way to end up dead.

Sunday, January 13, 2013 8:49:52 PM@HolyGod "That would cost $10,612,480,000." So you just need $10.6 billion to cover the cost?

I just gave you one list of known govt. waste.

Although THIS LIST overlaps a little with the first, just #18 will more than cover the annual cost -- "The federal government spends 25 billion dollars a year maintaining federal buildings that are either unused or totally vacant."

I have seen estimates that the US Govt. wastes over $1 trillion of taxpayer money annually. How much of that is truly waste I cannot say, but there always seems to be money for lining people's pockets and outright stupid poo.

I don't buy the we don't have money for it argument. If the Govt. put as much effort into fixing it's own waste as it does in taxing the rich, we would have plen